Attachment for invalid beds



y 4, 1938. EQMARZANO 2,118,261

ATTACHMENT FOR INV ALID BEDS Filed May 25, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E. MARZANO 2,118,261

ATTACHMENT FOR INVALID BEDS 1;, MM 51mm May 24, 1938.

, A -m7: I

b at n Patented May 24, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The invention has for its object the provision of means attachable to any bed to permit the patient to have toilet facilities in bed without raising himself or disturbing his position.

Another object is the provision of means in such a bed whereby the patient may displace a section of the mattress and cause the bed pan to move into place for use by simply tripping a lever and simultaneously signalling the attendant that the bed pan is about to be used.

A further object is the provision of cushioning mechanism to prevent a violent shock to the patient by the sudden tripping of the lever when removing a section of the mattress to use the bed pan.

Other objects will appear throughout the specification.

In carrying out the invention, an opening is formed, preferably in the center portion of the mattress and in the bed spring ordinarily used to support the mattress so that the two openings register. A pair of rails are fastened to the spring structure transversely of the bed, one on each side of the opening. Cross bars are preferably used to connect these rails to form a substantially rigid main frame. A similar frame is made to pivot at one end of this main frame and to be releasably locked thereto at the other end of the main frame in a gate-like manner. Upon releasing the locking mechanism, the pivoting frame swings open, taking with it the removable section of the mattress thereby making an opening through the mattress and spring. As the pivoting frame continues to open it allows a counterweight to drop, thereby drawing the bed pan directly under the opening in the mattress and spring. A signal such as a bell or lamp is operated by the lock releasing mechanism.

The invention will be more fully explained in 40 connection with the accompanying drawingsin which like numerals denote like parts.

Fig. l is a side elevation and sectional view of a bed with the removable mattress section in place and the pivoted frame in closed position. 45 Fig. 2 is an end sectional view and elevation of a bed, the broken lines representing various positions of the frame and bed pan. The bed structure is nowhere fully shown, but is illustrated only in sections to show the convenient manner of attachment of the parts of the invention to any bed.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a bed spring with the frames attached.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of one of the guide pulleys and cord which connects the bed pan to its counterweight.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the bed pan carriage.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the removable 5 bed pan normally placed in the bed pan carriage shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the latticed frame to which is secured the removable section of the mattress, the broken lines representing the position of swivel locking lugs whenlocking this latticed frame to the pivoted frame.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of the pivoted frame and locking lever in locked position.

The bedsteads I and 2 are of any suitable type 15 having supporting rails 3 for supporting the bed spring 4. The type of bed spring shown in part is of the flat, slat and coiled spring type and supports the parts of the invention in a resilient manner; 20

The main frame is made up preferably of two channeled rails 5 and 6, spaced from one another and running transversely of the bed spring 4 and attached thereto, preferably by being riveted to several of the spring slats, and are positioned so as to lie one on each side of the removable section 1 of the mattress 8. The ends of these rails 5 and 6 are preferably free.

The pivoted frame is likewise made up of two rails 9 and H], one on each side of the mattress section 7, preferably underlying the rails 5 and 6. Cross slats Il may be placed transversely of rails 5 and 6 and transversely of rails 9 and It! to strengthen the frames.

The pivoted frame rails 9 and ID are slotted at the rear end as shown in Fig. 2 so as to be easily removed from the pivot rod Ha. on the main frame and yet form a substantial pivot bearing surface. This feature is provided for easy removal of the section 1 from the latticed frame l2. This latticed frame I2 is supported by the upright pillars l3 and I4 on rails 9 and It].

Locking and unlocking of the pivoted frame to the main frame is accomplished at the end opposite the slotted end of the pivoted frame, pref- '45 erably by overhanging straps I5 and I6 keyed to lock rod H, to which rod is also keyed a lock lever l8. A 'cord l9 connects lock lever l8 with the switch arm 38, of an electric switch 20 secured to rail 6. The locking straps l5 and it are provided at their lower extremities with bent lugs to slide into arched straps 2| and 22 on the rails 9 and l 0, respectively of the pivoted frame. Thus, when lock lever [B is in lowered locked position, the lock straps l5 and it are hooked at their lower end within the latch space formed by the straps 2| and 22 on rails 9 and Ill. When lock lever I8 is raised in unlocked position, the lock straps l5 and i6 are released from the arched lock straps 2| and 22, thereby releasing the rails 9 and I0, and thereby allowing the pivoted frame formed by the rails 9 and II] to gravitate and open downwardly in gate-like fashion. Lock rod H is pivotally mounted through rails 5 and 6 of the main frame, thereby forming a latch-lock arrangement between the main frame and the pivoted frame. 7

Attached to the lock end of the pivoted frame may be a pair of counterweights 23 and 24 acting with the opening and closing of the pivoted frame to cushion the opening shock thereof. These counterweights are suspended from the slats of the bed spring 4 by pulleys 25 and cords 26, the cords 26 being attached to rails 9 and I6, respectively near the lock ends thereof.

The bed pan 2'! is normally placed within the carriage 28. The carriage 28 is provided with lugs 29 to act as stops in abutment with the end edges of rails 5 and 6, respectively to hold the carriage in retracted position when the pivoted frame is open, and this carriage 28 is further characteriZed by shoulders 30 and 3| on each side thereof to act as bearings for sliding said carriage along the horizontal surface of rails 5 and 6. There may be aslotted handle 32 on the carriage 28 for conveniently gripping the same in manually retracting or moving it.

Attached to carriage '23 through perforations 33 and 3 are preferably two cords 35, on the other ends of which is attached a counterweight 36. This latter counterweight rests normally across the frame made by the two rails 9 and iii of the pivoted frame in such manner that when this pivoted frame is in locked position, the counterweight exerts no pull on the cords 35 and carriage 28, but when the pivoted frame is lowered in unlocked position as shown by the broken lines in Fig. 2, the counterweight 3S gravitates downwardly with the rails 9 and IE3, thereby exerting a pull on the cords 35 and carriage 28, and causing said carriage, to slide inwardly on the rails 5 and 6 and to come to rest directly under the opening in the mattress 8 which is open by reason of the removable section 1 of the mattress 8 having been removed by the pivoted frame to which said section 1 is attached. The proper adjustment of the lengths of the cords 35 and cords 28 will insure the proper amount of opening of the pivoted frame and the proper registry of carriage 28 beneath the opening through mattress 8 and bed spring 4. It is to be noted that counterweight 36 will draw in carriage 28 upon unlocking and releasing the pivoted frame only if the carriage 28 has previously been set slightly advanced so thatthe lugs 29 on the carriage 28 are not over hanging the edges of rails 5 and 6 respectively. If these lugs 23 are overhanging the edges-of these rails, then the carriage will not move upon unlocking and releasing the pivoted frame, for in such position these lugs 29 act as stops for the carriage 28.

The pulleys 3? are preferably attached to the inner vertical surfaces of rails 5 and 8 respectively near the pivot rod ii and serve to overcome friction of the cords 35 at these points.

The switch 20 is preferably used in circuit with the signalling system of the hospital or building where the bed is used. The type shown here is of the momentary contact, spring released type, operable in unison with the lock lever 18, whereby upon raising this look lever Hi to unlock and release the pivoted frame, tension on the switch cord 19 is also exerted on the switch arm 38, and as this tension is increased by continuing to raise lever l8, the switch arm 38 is progressively moved into contacting position, thereby energizing the signal circuit and the bell or lamp or whatever may be the signal apparatus used in this circuit. When lever I8 is again allowed to fall, switch lever 38 returns to normal position and the circuit is no longer closed by switch 25. The mechanical construction of switch 20 is such that the spring contact blades are connected by a pin when switch lever 38 is in the contacting position, and a coil spring serves to force switch lever 38 into off position when tension on switch cord E9 is removed by lowering lever IS.

The latticed frame l2 to which is tied the removable section, 7 of the mattress 8 is secured to the pivoted frame by swivel locking lugs 42, which extend below the surface of the cross slats d3 of the pivoted frame, and which said lugs 42 may be turned diagonally when fitted into their respective slots to lock the frames together.

In operation, the invention is used as follows. When the patient desires to use the bed pan without rising or moving, he manually raises lock lever is, which can be raised with a very Slight effort exertable by even a very sick patient. Raising of lever 18 disengages locking straps i5 and is from arched lock straps 2i and 22, thereby releasing the pivoted frame. When released one end of the pivoted frame opening in gatelike fashion drops toward the floor. In so doing, the removable section 7 of the mattress 8 is removed downwardly, being forced tofollow the pivoted frame to which it is attached. Counterweights 23 and 24 are drawn upwardly by the cords 26 connecting these counterweights with the locking end of the pivoted frame thereby retarding the velocity of fall of therpivoted frame and obviating any violent shocks. If carriage 28 has been set by the attendant slightly advanced so that its lugs 29 are not overhanging the end edges of rails 5 and 6, it has been held in retracted position by the upright pillars l3 and M supporting the removable mattress section 1 and also because counterweight 36 has been suspended by rails 5! andlil. Now upon opening of the pivoted frame these upright pillars i3 and M are moved downwardly with the pivoted frame and no longer prevent the carriage 28 from being carried along rails 5 and 5 by the pull exerted by failing counterweight 36. When the pivoted frame reaches its open position an opening extends through the mattress 8 and bed spring 1, with the carriage 28 containing bed pan 2? directly beneath this opening, and the bed patient may use the facilities provided. Opening of the pivoted frame has signalled the attendant, who in due course goes to the patients assistance when finished, retracts the carriage 28, looks the pivoted frame to the main frame thereby replacing the removable section 1 within the opening of mattress 8. The bed pan 27 may now be removed from the carriage 28 and another put in its place and the entire mechanism is ready to repeat the cycle;

While the preferred form of the invention has been shown and described, it will be obvious that various changes in the details of construction may be resorted to for successfully carrying th invention into practice without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

In a bed for invalids, a mattress and a bed spring supporting the same, both being apertured to provide a continuous opening therethrough, said bed spring comprising a frame and spring structure carried by the spring frame and adapted to provide a resilient support for the mattress; a pair of substantially parallel rails carried by the spring structure and extending transversely of the bed spring on each side of said aperture; a rod connecting said parallel bars at one side of said aperture to form a pivot pin; a pivoted framepivoted on said rod comprising a pair of spaced substantially parallel rails extending transversely of said aperture, and substantially parallel with the first mentioned parallel rails and connected by straps to form a supporting frame, the rails of said pivoted frame being slotted at their pivot points to facilitate their disengagement from said rod for removal from the bed; a mattress section supported by said hinged frame and adapted to fill said aperture so as to form a continuous surface with the mattress when the hinged frame is in closed position; supporting channels attached to said first mentioned parallel rails to support a bed pan; locking means to facilitate opening and closing said pivoted frame for removing or replacing said mattress section within said aperture and shock absorbing means connected between the bed spring and the pivoted frame to cushion the opening movement of said pivoted frame.

EDUARDO MARZANO. 

